Nothing Can Be Explained
by ii-Phoenix-ii
Summary: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
1. Giants

**Chapter 1: Giants**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Summary** : "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

* * *

Angel closed the book and yawned, lifting her arms to stretch her muscles. The digital clock indicated it was time to hit the sack. _I've done all I can_. She lay back, stomach full of butterflies. Restlessness about the coming days' exam kept her tossing and turning. _God, how does anyone sleep the night before they're supposed to take the Bar?_ Horrific scenarios of a giant red zero plagued her mind.

 _No! I will not fall victim to the fear of the monster!_ She'd heard many people broke from the fear of the test than the actual test. The Bar was two days long, approximately 6 hours each day. Sleep was important but if ridiculous scenarios about the coming days continued to plague her, she knew she'd be restless the entire night. That was, without a doubt, a recipe for failure.

A distraction was a must and Angel snatched her phone off the table, unplugging the charger cable. Cute videos with babies and dogs did the trick. She cooed at the screen. Half an hour later, closing the browser, she plugged in her headphones and drifted to the soothing sounds of ocean waves.

A cool breeze swept, making her shiver. _Dammit, did I leave a window open?_ She groped blindly for her blanket, shivering in the cold. Grudgingly, she cracked an eyelid. A shriek split from her lips and she jumped out of bed, rushing around in a blind panic and getting ready. She was in the middle of hopping on one leg, trying to pull the sock over her toe when it hit her. "I'm an idiot!" Class did not start at its regular time today. There was plenty of time before she had to be at the university. Angel wanted to slap herself.

Sulkily wandering over to the kitchen, she poured herself a bowl of cereal and grabbed a banana. _At least now I won't be late for sure_. She chewed her breakfast viciously, preferring annoyance over anxiety. Everything had been ready to go the night before and she grabbed her messenger bag and left early. What if there was an accident and she couldn't make it in on time? _Better safe than sorry._

Many of the other test takers felt the same way and were talking nervously amongst one another outside the lecture hall. Selecting a nice empty corner, Angel sat down and pulled out her laptop for a last minute study session. The minutes seemed to fly by and before she knew, it was time. Triple checking to make sure her phone was off—she'd heard stories of people being disqualified when their phones went off—and dropped it in the designated area.

The hall was wide and open, full of dozens of tables seating two people. By the time everyone was seated and ready, there were around a hundred students in attendance. Tapping the table, she waited impatiently for her laptop to boot-up, praying, despite her atheist view, to some foreign deity in the universe that everything went well. Pens and pencils placed neatly besides one another, she waited for the proctor to pass out the test.

The second the woman announced their time began, she was off. Constantly checking the clock, she made sure to be aware of how long she had. Three hours had passed and the proctor called for the break. Angel bit into her sandwich with flayed nerves, trying, but failing, to keep her mind from going over her answers over and over again. She was almost relieved when it was time to start the afternoon session.

 _Dammit!_ Angel squirmed in her chair. _I'm just going to finish this question and then I'll go._ The bathroom break eased her nerves a little. Until she returned to her seat and noticed the clock. _Oh fucking hell!_ Despite her vigilance, time seemed to have escaped her. Finally, when day one was over, she felt an overwhelming amount of relief, which she could see reflected in the faces of her fellow survivors.

Alas it was short lived.

They had one more day to go.

And somehow, the next day felt worse. _You'd think it'd be easier considering I know what to expect mentally_. The second day, the relief at finally finishing the terrible Bar exam was profound. She couldn't believe she actually did it. Now the torturous wait to see if she'd passed was on.

* * *

The light was blinding and the noises were deafening, making her feel physically ill. Angel really hated hangovers. Whimpering and stumbling into the bathroom, she went straight into the tub for her hangover cure: a cold shower. She gasped at the sudden onslaught of icy water and gritted her teeth. Running her hands through her hair, she tried to massage the headache away. It took a few seconds to recognize the weird feeling.

Then she recalled her friends dragging her away to celebrate the 'two month anniversary of taking the Bar.' All she'd wanted to do was curl in her bed and cry about how much she'd sucked, convinced she'd failed. Her friends just wanted an excuse to go out and drink. _It's actually not that bad_. Angel shook her now short blue hair. _My head feels lighter. Maybe I'll keep it this way_.

Usually she thought time just flew by. They were already half way into the year. Now though, time seemed to move slowly. As if taunting her. Just one more week. _I've survived two months, I just have one more week left to go_. The closer she got to the date of her results, the more impatient she became.

* * *

Angel had just arrived back from her dentist appointment, stopping to grab her mail, when she saw it. She immediately felt light headed. Without preamble, she tore open the package in her apartment hallway. _Holy shit. Holy Shit!_ A wide grin bloomed across her face. _I did it!_ Her hands shook in excitement as she practically skipped to her apartment door.

"Thor! I'm home!"

Thor, her 2'3" 102 lbs Doberman Pinscher, the love of her life, barked happily and jumped into his mistress' open arms. "I'm happy to see you too, buddy." She lavished him with kisses. The week of the Bar, she'd left him with her parents, wanting to devote her attention fully to the exam. It didn't mean that they didn't have video calls every night. According to her parents, he looked forward to her calls even more than they did.

Angel pulled out her phone while scratching Thor. The answering machine beeped on the other end. She was too excited, she needed to say it right now. "Hey Mom, Dad! I passed! I passed the Bar!" She began babbling in excitement. Afterwards, she called her friends and promised to buy them all drinks.

That night, she was too excited to sleep and played with Thor to his heart's content.

* * *

Angel got up early the next morning because for once, reality was too good for her to sleep it away.

Thunder cackled outside the window and rain came down lightly. Dressing in warmer clothes, she grabbed her bag and an umbrella. The blue hair had been fun the short while it lasted, but it was time to change it back to her natural color. She wanted to look professional after all. The rain came down harder and she began regretting her decision to leave her toasty apartment. _Too late now_. She was closer to the salon than she was to her building.

"Aren't you glad I made you wear your rain jacket?" She asked Thor. Overhead, dark grey clouds completely blocked out the sun. Angel decided to take a shortcut through the park. She was almost through when the incessant splatter of rain ceased. Bright yellow beams of sunlight broke through the thick blanket of clouds.

Angel closed her umbrella and observed Thor curiously. "What's up, buddy?" He was standing straight, ears twitching, then sniffing around. She was immediately on guard. Reaching into her bag, she curled her fingers around the stun gun. Thor obviously sensed something and she trusted his instincts. The Doberman was observing their surroundings and she did the same.

 _Hey, the trees...they're different_. Angel straightened. _Come to think of it, this place seems...wrong._ She'd never seen this part of the park before. "This isn't the park." It looked like a forest. Too lost in her thoughts, she hadn't ever realized the change in environment, mind only focusing on finding the potential assailant hidden between the trees. The sheer height of the trees was astounding. _How did I miss this?_ They reminded her of a park she'd visited with her parents, known for having one of the tallest tree species in the world.

"Where the hell are we?"

Goosebumps broke out across her skin. Then she understood what was needling her. It was gone. The sounds and smells of the city. Ironically, the quiet was incredibly loud. Angel held out her hand. Even the temperature, the climate, felt different somehow. "Okay, this is really, really weird."

Now her voice sounded odd, too. A given considering the surreal situation she found herself in. Thor let out a whine. Angel focused her attention back on him. "I'm not dreaming, right?" Vibrations shook the ground as the sound of thundering footsteps shattered the quiet.

Ground shaking.

Loud footsteps.

Monster.

 _Hide_.

Propelled by instincts, she ducked behind a thick tree. Thor followed obediently. Angel was grateful for the wide girth, easily hiding the two of them. Her heart was beating powerfully against her ribcage. Wide brown eyes peaked around the corner.

Her heart skipped a beat.

 _What the actually_ fuck _is_ THAT _?!_

The giant stood fifty yards before her, naked, an eerily empty look in his—no, its, it had no genitalia—its eyes. Angel could only watch, frozen in terror, as it disappeared between the large trees. Trees, which if used to compare, proved that the giant had to be at least five times her height. _That thing's huge!_

Angel whipped her head around. _There could be more of those things out there_. The coppery taste of pennies filled her mouth. _Focus!_ Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she tried to get her nerves to relax. Thor, sensing her distress, licked her hand. The effect was almost immediate. Angel physically shook her limbs, an exercise she did to literally shake off the nerves and anxiety.

Studying the forest with the looming trees, she came to a decision. She would trust her instincts, Angel looked down at the Doberman, which were to trust _his_ instincts. "Thor, you've got to find us a way out." She knelt before him, staring into his shiny eyes. "Find a way out of the forest, buddy. Find people. C'mon."

Thor barked in response and began sniffing around. Angel followed him, eyeing their surroundings warily. It wasn't long before another one of the giants appeared. This one had longer hair and was slightly shorter. She hid instantaneously, waving wildly to Thor. Placing a finger on her lips, she shushed him quietly.

"That's trouble, Thor," she pointed to the naked monstrosity. "We have to avoid them. They're very bad! _Cattivo!_ Okay, Thor?" He barked and she nodded. She had full faith in him. He'd never let her down before. _It'll be fine. Dobermans are very intelligent_.

Thor surveyed the forest and began leading his mistress out of the maze of trees. A few more giants were spotted but they managed to avoid being seen. She packed up her umbrella and switched it out for her stun gun, thumb on the black button, ready to flick to charge, and index finger on the red switch to trigger the volts. Ideally she'd rather avoid using it. Realistically Angel knew their luck wouldn't hold, sooner or later, they'd run into a giant that was too close to hide from.

Of course that's when one spotted them.

 _Maybe it's friendly?_

Then it opened its arms, reaching out like a zombie, mouth wide open to show its big white teeth.

 _Or not._

"Run!"

Thor took off and she ran after him, happy that she'd opted for her favorite sturdy high-tops instead of the platform ankle boots. As an avid runner, she was able to keep up with the Doberman's pace. With a head start, they were able to stay ahead of their stalker. Just when she thought they might make it, two more emerged from their right. "Seriously?!" She let loose a few choice curse words. Thor barked ahead of her.

The trees were becoming shorter. _We're almost out!_ Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to her, making her sick to her stomach. At least in the forest they could duck out of sight and hide. Outside the dense forest they were sitting ducks. It was then she saw the colorful smoke, coming from the left. _What? Is that...are those...smoke signals? Flares!_ Which meant humans. Or so she hoped.

Thor lead her towards their direction and she decided to trust him. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and nearly fell over. _Shit!_ She couldn't believe she almost turned into one of those characters she screamed at, the ones that knew they were being chased by a psycho serial killer and weren't mindful of their surroundings, tripping and getting caught because they were too busy trying to see their stalker instead of focusing solely on escaping and _not_ face-planting.

 _Almost there!_ Angel's legs were starting to burn. The giants had gained ground on them despite the duo's head start, their long legs making up the distance quickly. When the two finally broke through the thicket, coming before a wide field full of vibrant green grass, her brown eyes instantly narrowed in on the caravan. It was the only way to describe the people on horses and the carts. She slowed to a stop, wincing when her messenger bag, which had been flying behind as she ran, struck her.

 _This is insane_. She watched as one of the humans with some contraption on his waist used one of the few trees scattered around to slice the vertebrae on the back of a giant's neck. A million thoughts ran through her head in the span of a second. _Am I in a coma? Am I dead? Is this a schizophrenic break of some sort?_ She was certainly in the right age group. Except Schizophrenia didn't run in her family.

To say she was utterly freaked was putting it mildly. _It's like some PCP induced psychosis!_ She couldn't think of any other explanation. _But I don't do drugs!_ So where did these hallucinations come from? All thoughts were halted when Thor grabbed her jacket sleeve and began tugging. The sense of danger, which had pushed her confusion at the situation in the back of her mind because survival came first, reappeared.

The ground shook as her chasers closed in. Angel broke out in a run. "Thor, run! Get their attention!" The Doberman took off, head dipping instinctively to become more aerodynamic and gaining speed, barking like crazy. Though it appeared some of the caravan people had already seen her. Angel was very grateful that she'd landed here—wherever here was—on her way to the salon instead of from there.

The shocking blue hair stood out like a sore thumb.

A group of riders was coming towards her. The relief nearly sent her tumbling. Angel didn't need to look back to know how close the giants were. She could almost feel them closing in on her from behind. _Trees! Go to the trees!_ Her mind screamed and she swiftly made an immediate turn to the left, adding a few feet distance between her and the monsters.

As planned, the uniformed humans swarmed the giants. What she hadn't anticipated was another giant, much smaller compared to its brethren, still towering over a regular human, to come from behind a lone tree nearby. Angel removed her messenger bag and swung it around, hoping against all odds to scare the thing. It didn't care and grabbed her.

Fortunately, she didn't have her insides squeezed out of her like she'd feared. The grip was tight and she squirmed. Thor growled viciously and tried to bite it. The thing wasn't bothered and ignored the Doberman, for which she was grateful. Instead, she flicked the switch and drove the stun gun into the bare vulnerable flesh. Angel felt the effect immediately, the grip loosened and she removed her finger from the trigger, unwilling to use up all the juice.

She didn't even register the pain at coming in contact with the ground, adrenaline rushing through her veins. The giant was frozen, limbs twitching, face twisted into an expression of pain and discomfort. _Take that, bastard!_ She thought giddily.

Taking advantage of the paralysis, one of the flyers killed it, cutting off a chunk of flesh from the nape. Thor once again pulled her out of her stupor. She followed his gaze and grabbed her messenger bag. A cart had pulled up while she'd been distracted. Thor launched himself into it, startling the man for a brief second.

Angel grabbed his hand and he pulled her up. Before the cart could get moving, she quickly flicked the stun gun off, not wanting to accidentally press the trigger and shock herself or Thor or their savior. Wrapping her arms around his muscular body, ignoring the wet yellow jacket, she hugged him, watching the humongous forest get smaller as they raced away. The other two people in the cart stared openly at her with wide eyes.

Now that there was no immediate threat to her life, she finally began wondering what had happened. _What is this place? Who are these people? What the_ hell _is going on here?_

Thor whined and licked her face. Angel smiled warily, at least she wasn't alone. The cart joined the rest of the caravan, and everyone joined in sneaking peeks at her. Something about their expressions was odd—aside from the obvious. Angel kept her eyes focused on her dog.

She heard someone yelling about stopping, but giants were swarming around them, forcing them to keep going. Finally Angel straightened up and turned around to see where they were heading. A massive wall depicting a woman loomed ahead.

Angel recognized the group that had come to her rescue, forming a crescent shape around her cart. She figured she should thank them, but somehow couldn't bring herself to speak yet, far too unsure. Thor whined and nudged her. Angel smiled and removed the wet jacket that was annoying him. Folding it neatly, she placed it in the zip lock bag she'd brought with her. _My phone!_ She pulled out the rectangular object.

No signal.

"Fucking of course."

The people around her jerked in surprise. She could swear she heard the two in the cart muttering with each other about 'can understand her' or something. _Why would they think I don't speak English?_ Thor stared behind her, ears twitching. At his barking, she turned and realized they'd reached the gigantic gate.

Angel watched the caravan enter the community. _Where_ — No, maybe the better question was _when_ was she? Except it couldn't be the past. She was no history buff but she was sure if crazy naked giants and machines that allowed people to swing around like Spiderman existed she'd know. _This just keeps getting weirder and weirder_.

Had she fallen into an alternate universe or world or something of the like?

Angel felt ridiculous just thinking that.

Not that she could come up with a better explanation.

When the cart carrying her and Thor entered, the populace noticed her and dropped whatever they were holding. Whispered broke out and they all pointed at her. Some looked awed, some shocked, some hopeful, some confused, and some were even afraid.

Men were dressed similarly in simple pants and shirts. Women were in blouses and long skirts. The colors were dominantly black, white, and brown, and a few muted shades of brighter colors. Aside from the machines the uniformed people wore, there wasn't a hint of technology anywhere.

The street they were passing through was dusty and surrounded by stalls. Merchants were selling everything from fruits and vegetables to fish to jewelry to clothes to household tools. She noticed some houses, white brick with dark triangular roofs.

Angel caressed Thor, who was studying his new environment excitedly, and said. "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

* * *

 _ **Please Review~**_


	2. Military

**Chapter 2: Military**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Previously** : Angel takes the Bar and passes. She and her dog, Thor, end up in a forest with giants, saved by a group of humans that swing from wires. They take her back to their home.

* * *

The shock wore off soon and people became more vocal. They began yelling and clapping. Men and women began congratulating someone named Erwin.

"Commander Erwin!"

"You did it!"

"I never lost faith in you guys!"

"You're heroes!"

"We're not alone!"

"Humanity's saved!"

 _The fuck?_ Angel felt like a circus freak on display, paraded around for everyone to see and stare at. They waved and pointed, watching eagerly to see what she did. Nothing. A few were put off by her lack of reaction. What were they expecting from her? Waving like some pageant queen on a float?

"It's so bright!"

"She looks so unusual!"

"What is she wearing?"

"I never could have imagined such a color existed!"

They were commenting on her hair.

Apparently hair dye didn't exist here.

Once again, she found herself trying to come up with a logical explanation for the situation she found herself in.

The praise soon shifted to some called Corporal Levi and the Special Ops Squad. In her peripheral vision, she saw the man in the undercut grimace. _So I'm being escorted by Humanity's Strongest Soldier and his squad of elite soldiers._ Funnily enough, she could only think how odd and silly their uniforms looked compared to the military from... _My world?_

As ludicrous as it seemed, she had to admit, so far, everything pointed to that fact. Angel didn't like it. That kind of stuff wasn't supposed to happen. Maybe in books and movies but not in real life. Certainly not to her. She had a life to live. She'd just accomplished her childhood dream. Her life was starting to go so well. _Why did this have to happen?_

Unwilling to brood on the subject, Angel's thoughts shifted to her escorts. Were they there to protect her from the crowds? Or was she their prisoner? What were they going to do with her? People had babbled about her like she was some sort of messiah. What if she wasn't able to deliver whatever it was they expected from her? What would happen to her then?

 _No, they wouldn't dare._ Not when they learned who she was. They had to let her live. Her position did not mean much here, but it did mean something back home. Her mind raced, thinking on what she could use as leverage. She arrived at the place she assumed was their headquarters.

"Get down," the one called Corporal Levi ordered.

Angel did as he said. His team eyed her stun gun in a mixture of curiosity and unease. It made her feel a little safe. One of them stepped closer and Thor growled a warning. He also made her feel safe. "Easy boy." The Doberman stood obediently but protectively in front of her. "Lead the way," she told the ridiculously short man. He cast the dog a suspicious look, which Thor returned, and began walking.

Much to her amusement, the Special Ops Squad seemed to be a little afraid of her four-legged baby. Thor sniffed them curiously, entertaining his mistress as his inquiries made them flinch. The soldiers they passed showed the same reactions as the crowds from before. No, they were even more emotional, crying and hugging each other. _I thought they were supposed to be soldiers._ She had expected them to have better self-control.

The whole thing gave her a weird feeling.

"...are limitless!" A shrill voice pierced through the door they were approaching. "I've so many ideas! I have to talk to her, Erwin! I want her! Oh all the experiments I can do!"

Experiments? _Bitch! How dare she!_ Angel thought viciously. Human experiments? What was wrong with these people? The little trust she'd unconsciously placed in them vanished. Rage boiled in her and she kept her face perfectly neutral, unwilling to let them know what she was thinking.

The room was an office, as indicted by the desk and large chair and paperwork. A tall-blonde haired man stood with a woman wearing glasses and looking very hyper. _Erwin, he's the one in charge._ His eyebrows were a little distracting. She ignored the pony-tailed woman. Angel wondered why she was seeing Erwin only now. Then she realized if they were military, he must have had to report her appearance to the higher-ups.

"Hi! Welcome! I'm—"

Thor bared his fangs as the woman got too close, ignoring the redhead's protests. "Careful," Angel warned coldly, "one command and he'll rip your face apart."

The Special Ops Squad reacted immediately and in sync, bodies shifting and hands twitching to their swords. In response, Angel flicked the switch on her stun gun, ready to discharge it at the slightest pressure of her index finger. It didn't go unnoticed by the soldiers.

Erwin stepped forward calmly, hands up in a reassuring gesture. "Everyone, calm down please. No need to get so worked up."

Levi was the first to obey and his squad followed suit. Not wanting to look like an aggressor, Angel calmed as well. "Thank you," Erwin smiled. "I know it mustn't be easy, stuck in a foreign place surrounded by armed people."

"Where am I?"

"Why don't you take a seat?" He gestured to the chair.

"I'll stand, thank you."

Erwin nodded, "To start off, my name is Erwin Smith, I'm the Commander of the Survey Corps. You are currently in our HQ in Wall Rose."

Angel shook her head. "I meant country." They all spoke English. It could be the North America or maybe the Europe of this world.

"I'm sorry?" He furrowed his eyebrow.

 _Okay so maybe they don't have the same countries_. She decided to go bigger. "What about continent?" Blank looks. "Side of the world?" The faces they made told her they were awed she knew about the world. "Seriously?"

"Humanity—we," Erwin corrected himself, "haven't left the walls in over a hundred years."

What the hell did that mean?

The question was evident on her face. "Perhaps I should explain from the beginning. But first, if you don't mind, what's your name?"

"Angel DiStefano."

"Well, Miss DiStefano, our story began a century ago when humanity—we—were driven to hide behind the walls from the Titans."

 _So that's what they're called._ It was a fitting name for the behemoths with seemingly impenetrable skin.

"They appeared out of nowhere, slaughtering humans without discrimination, eating every man, woman, and child in sight. From all the data we've gathered, they don't actually need to eat humans to survive, seeing that they've lived freely, roaming outside the walls while we were trapped inside. We've been fighting for our freedom ever since, to break free of this prison and explore this world—our world, and to find other civilizations."

Angel had no idea what to make of it. _Wait, could they be thinking I'm a member of one such surviving group?_ It certainly explained a lot. Their tearful reactions and exclamations of being saved. They thought they were the last of humanity. Now they'd learned there were more out there. _Except there aren't_.

"Where are you from, Miss DiStefano? How did you end up in the Forest of Giant Trees? What do your people know of Titans? What have your people accomplished?" He eyed her stun gun. "I've yearned to learn about the world and its mysteries all my life. Tell me, what is the outside world like? The people, the places, the culture." His eyes seemed to shine at the prospect. "Have your people defeated the Titans?"

"Wait, how do you not know that? The world I mean." Angel dodged his questions. She didn't want to dash his hopes quite yet. Not to mention risk sounding like a lunatic by talking about dimension jumping. Did they even know what that meant? "How the hell does not even a single person not know?" He had to be joking. Long before the dawn of technology, people had passed down history by word of mouth. Then by writing it down. There was no way even a single person didn't know about what lay beyond the walls.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have an answer for that."

Something about his response bugged her.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble pal," Angel said bluntly, she saw no other way to say this but to answer him straight forward, "I don't think I'm from around here."

"Obviously," Levi rolled his eyes.

"I meant this world."

"What do you mean?" Hange asked wide-eyed. "Are you saying you're not human?" The others exchanged glances. Their thoughts clear on most of their faces. _Could she be some race other than human? Certainly explains her hair._

"What? No! I meant I'm from another world. Don't you—no, never mind. Okay, let me see if I can explain this. Now, I'm not an expert by any means so don't think I completely know and understand this myself." They were all staring intently at her. She decided to use a method she saw in a TV show. "Can I use that?" She gestured to the paper and pen.

"Of course."

Angel leaned against the desk and held up a piece of paper with a circle. "Let's pretend this is my world." She labeled it A. "In my world, there are people who believe that the universe is infinite. And that many worlds exist parallel to one another." She drew another circle. "This is World B. It's like my world, except maybe certain events did or didn't take place or were different, like the Allied Forces lost World War II."

And she lost them.

"Basically," she drew more circles, "there are countless worlds existing at the same time but at different frequencies. They are the same in terms of, say, places or maybe people. But things happened differently or didn't happen at all and that separated _that_ world from the rest. Take for example, in my world, there's no such thing as Titans."

Not in real life anyway. Greek mythology didn't count for obvious reasons.

No one said anything, choosing to study her shoddy explanation, trying to make sense of the concept.

"I hope that made some sense," Angel shrugged. "I majored in Criminal Law, not Quantum Physics."

"No," Hange began slowly, "I think I understand. There are many worlds and they're all fundamentally the same but for one difference, one thing specific to that world, that sets it apart from the rest."

"Correct," Angel nodded, mildly annoyed the insane one had gotten it first. "So, yeah, I'm afraid I'm not the savior people are expecting me to be. I'm not from this world. While I can tell you about this planet, Earth, aside from that, I can't really say what you'll find out there."

"And you're sure?" Erwin eyed her intently.

"We've sent people to the moon and beyond, I'm sure we'd know about you if you existed in my world."

Disbelief.

They stared at her in pure disbelief.

Thor, hungry and wanting attention, barked loudly, grabbing their attention. He whined at his mistress. Angel pulled out special dog jerky and unwrapped it. She tossed it and watched him catch it happily. Not knowing what to do with the wrapper, she stuffed it back in her bag. "What now?" She asked, unnerved at the way they were studying her.

As much as they were dying to grill her about everything she knew, it had to wait.

"Let me explain a little about us. The military is divided into three parts," Erwin began, "the Survey Corps, we're the only soldiers who leave the walls on our expeditions to learn more about Titans and humans. The Garrisons, they mostly take care of the walls and are there in case of a breach. Lastly, the Military Police, their job is to make sure everyone obeys the laws. The Royal Government will want to see you as soon as possible. You might even be presented before the king."

Angel nodded, storing the information about their politics. Royal Government and King, Commanders and military branches, it was a mix of monarchy and some others types of governments. _That means they most likely have Nobles._ And that was good. It would help her gain some leverage later on in case they decided to hold her prisoner, or worse, execute her.

"You must be exhausted. Why don't you get some rest? Dinner's in a few hours."

"Yeah! I can tell you all about Titans!" Hange said excitedly. "We can—"

"No thanks."

Her face fell. _No way in hell I'm spending any time with that nut-case if I can help it._ Angel wondered what they were going to do with her now. She did know if they gave her over to the crazy scientist to be poked and prodded... She mentally shook her head. No, she'd keep it hidden. She really didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary. _Besides, I still have my trusty stun gun._

"That's fine," Erwin continued, knowing it took a while to get used to Hange's explosive and wild personality. "I was actually going to place you with Levi's squad. You can stay in their private barrack. That way you can avoid the crowds and have some privacy."

* * *

 _Is this place for real?_ Angel couldn't see a smudge or stain or speck of dust anywhere. _It's kind of creepy._ They were standing in the kitchen/dinning room with Levi unenthusiastically explaining the set up of the place. "And so you know, I do not tolerate a mess. If you're going to stay here, you have to keep that standard of cleanliness, understand?"

"Sure," Angel agreed, and muttered under her breath, "OCD much?"

"What?" He narrowed his eyes, unsure whether or not to be insulted.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "I just said you're very OCD." Angel had a feeling she was going to get those blank looks a lot. "You know, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? When people have an irrational need to, for example, make sure everything is neat and clean, or orderly, or they're constantly check something, or obsessed about staying germ-free, or repeating a certain action over and over before they feel it's done correctly. People have various degrees of OCD."

"Whatever," Levi scowled, folding his arms, "I don't care what you call it, as long as you follow my rules."

Angel didn't think he very much liked being diagnosed with a disorder when they'd only met an hour ago. "Okay."

Nodding in satisfaction, he gestured to the redhead. "Petra will show you to your room."

Angel straightened up, glad they weren't throwing her in the basement. "I'm Petra Ral, what's his name?" She gestured to the dog trotting between them.

"Thor," Angel smiled.

"I've never seen a dog like him before."

"Really?" That explained why they were so jumpy around him. He was scary to people who'd seen dogs like him before, lean, muscular, and mean looking. If his breed didn't exist here, he probably looked even more dangerous. "He's a Doberman Pinscher."

"I only know of different types of horses," she shrugged. "It's only the people in Sina who're able to afford pets. Many of the dogs and cats here are strays and may attack you for food."

"That's sad."

Petra tilted her head to the side, studying her curiously. Angel hadn't batted an eyelash during the explanation regarding Titans, but she was genuinely sad about the cats and dogs situation. _Clearly they don't have a lot of animal lovers around here_. Angel mused.

"He's so obedient. Does Thor always follow your orders?"

"Of course, he's my baby."

"He seems exceptionally smart."

"Dogs are usually very intelligent, far more than humans, that's for sure." She smiled and scratched his head. "He's the one who found a way out of that gigantic forest and lead me towards you."

"Really?" Petra's eyes widened. _That's interesting_. She nodded to the door. "Here's your room. Mine is the one across."

"Thanks."

"Call me if you need anything."

With a polite nod, Angel shut the door, finally relaxing. She collapsed on the small bed. Thor jumped up and joined her. "I don't want to be here. You want to go home too, don't you?" He snuggled next to her. She sighed, "This is just so... I don't even... I'm glad you're here with me." She was good at compartmentalizing. Still, she was starting to feel a little suffocated.

Her situation was so _unbelievable_.

Except it _was_ real, and she had to accept it and adapt quickly if she wanted to survive.

* * *

From the light outside her window—the window that she couldn't open of course, they didn't want to give her an escape route after all—Angel guessed a few hours had passed. She had no doubt Petra's door across the hall was open so she could keep an eye on her. The only way out of the barrack was the main door, which was sure to be guarded.

Angel's thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open. "Don't you knock?"

"Come with me," Levi ordered.

From the tone of his voice, it was serious. "Time to eat?" She asked hopefully.

"No, we've been ordered to bring you to the capital immediately."

No shock there.

Mentally calculating the time she'd spent in the room, Angel figured the trip would take around two hours.

"Can I get an apple?" She asked Petra, who'd been very friendly to her so far and hadn't pried earlier when she had the chance. "Preferably in slices."

"I'll see what I can do."

Angel followed Levi silently, neither willing to break the silence for their own reasons. Erwin was waiting for them. And he looked a little tense. _This can't be good._

"I'm sorry you haven't gotten a chance to eat yet," he smiled apologetically. "I didn't think we'd be summoned to Mitras until tomorrow."

"It's fine."

Petra arrived and handed her a plate of apple slices. "Thank you," Angel said.

The redhead nodded and mounted her horse. She and the rest of the Special Ops Squad were following them on horses. "After you," Erwin opened the door for her. Levi turned his nose as Thor jumped in as well, but held his tongue.

"Is there anything I need to know about these people?" Angel fed a slice to Thor and bit into one herself. She was starving. Not that she was going to let them know. "Any customs? I don't want to accidentally offend someone."

"No, just be polite. You're not from here, no one expects you to understand how we do things."

Again, something about his response nagged her.

* * *

Angel had kept silent for most of the ride, lost in thought. She'd only spoken when Erwin said they were at Wall Sina. The image of the woman was very familiar and she blurted out, "Cinderella?"

"What?" Levi asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head. "I was just day-dreaming." He didn't look like he believed her.

Angel moved the curtain a little and studied the capital. It was very different from the town she'd passed through when she had first arrived. The buildings were larger, the streets cleaner and solid, the people were dressed in finer clothes likely to be what was considered fashionable with a variety of colors and materials. The sun was setting soon. They didn't have artificial lighting and normally, she figured, most would be heading indoors soon.

But the news of her appearance, the first human in over a hundred years from outside the walls, had spread like wildfire. The people were regarding the carriage and the escorts differently. Most of them pointed and looked curiously, some were happy, many were suspicious. If she didn't know any better, she'd think the dislike on many of their faces was for the Survey Corps considering the fact it was the wings emblem they were frowning at.

The men and women dressed almost identical to the Survey Corps soldiers, but with a unicorn symbol, seemed to increase in numbers.

The Military Police.

Crowd control.

Angel realized they were almost there and began searching her bag. She ignored her escorts' looks of curiosity and brushed her hair. _Men_ , she rolled her eyes. "It would have been nice to have a heads-up," she muttered.

"Apologizes," Erwin smiled. He hid his nerves well. Not well enough for her. Reading people had been vital to her since she was a child. Especially considering whose child she was.

Angel put on some mascara and lipstick, ignoring their stares. _Honestly, it's like they've never seen a woman do her make-up before_. Grey jacket, purple blouse, dark blue jeans, and black and white high-tops, not too terrible for a meeting with a king of a foreign world. Right?

Erwin and Levi exited first, making sure the coast was clear. She took the opportunity to put on some perfume. When she got the green light, she let Thor go first, feeling only slightly like a chicken.

It was a whole different story, people noticing her from afar vs. a few feet.

Angel felt like a bug under a microscope.

 _Here we go._

* * *

 _ **Please Review~**_


	3. Leverage

**Chapter 3: Leverage**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Previously** : Angel is brought inside Wall Rose and explains she is from another world. The Royal Government orders her to be brought to Mitras immediately.

* * *

The first one to break the silence was a tall man with a unicorn logo. From the way he was flanked by others in the same uniform, he was obviously the MP Commander. "Why is she not in chains, Erwin? The orders were clear."

"Because I thought they were unnecessary, Nile. She's been perfectly compliant."

"That wasn't for you to decide."

Angel knew she couldn't have others defending her. She had to speak out. Else her fate would be put in their hands. She couldn't believe the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "I am an American citizen," she began calmly, "you can't arrest me without cause. It's illegal and my people won't be happy about that, I can assure you."

Angel knew it was the right thing to do. The way they were looking at her, it was as if they hadn't been expecting her to talk. _How infuriating_. Just because she was alone in a foreign world didn't mean they could make unreasonable demands of her and expect her to follow them without questions or objections.

"She's only one person, Nile. Levi and his squad will be keeping an eye on her. If she were to try anything, they'd take care of her immediately."

 _What a nice way of saying they'd sever the head and limbs from my body without hesitation._

"Unless you think you're more qualified than us," Levi drawled. "Then by all means, take her," he shrugged. A look of uncertainty passed over the MP Commander's face. Being humanity's strongest had its merits.

"The dog—"

"I can vouch for him too," Erwin said.

Nile hesitated for a second. _So suspicious. At least he's not a total asshole_ , Angel thought when he gave in. "Alright, but if something goes wrong, it'll be your head on the platter, Erwin."

Angel ignored the crowd the MP were trying to control. She wondered if this was how animals at zoos felt. The hallways were lit with torch sconces. Men and women lined the walls, armed with rifles. _All this just for me? How flattering._ How dumb—no, suicidal—did they think she'd have to be to assassinate a man she'd never heard of or even thought existed just twenty-four hours earlier? In the middle of their capital, no less.

They arrived before a door and the guards crossed their spears, refusing entry. "Her bag must be confiscated. We know for a fact she's got at least one weapon."

Before anyone had a chance to react, she removed her bag and held it out to the blonde-haired man of the Special Ops Squad, Erd she thought was his name. She trusted them far more than the MP strangers. Angel had been dreading for when she had to give up her belongings. Earlier she had come up with a solution from Erwin and Nile's conversation.

No one moved to claim the messenger bag from a member of Levi's squad. Angel had thought they'd search her person and before they could, she would hand over her other weapon, an actual deadly weapon rather than a tool designed for self-defense, as a sign of good faith.

She hadn't wanted to hide it back in her room or anywhere else in the castle in case she didn't come back. Neither did she feel comfortable traveling without it with all the people and their suspicion filled eyes. If it was going to be confiscated, she at least wanted it on her terms. When no one made a move towards her, she kept perfectly still, not believing her luck.

 _Well, if they're not going to ask if I have other weapons concealed somewhere, I'm not going to share that info._ Really she rather they not get their hands on it.

"Stay quiet, Thor," Angel said.

The guards opened the door and she, along with her dog, entered between Erwin and Levi. Orange rays shone through the floor to ceiling windows. A few sconces had been lit to provide additional and adequate lighting for the large, open room. Four men sat upfront. The throne, rather lacking in Angel's mind, sat empty between the two pairs.

The four men, all middle-aged, stared somewhat anxiously at her. _What are they so worried about?_ It soon turned into anger. They were none too thrilled about the lack of iron decorating her arms. No one bowed or even tilted their heads as a sign of respect and neither did she. _Where's the king?_

Erwin voiced her thoughts.

"For security purposes, King Fritz will stay in the adjacent room."

Angel couldn't help but find it odd. No one else seemed to though. Unlike her, they didn't have preconceived notions of how a monarch acted based on TV shows or books. She dismissed it.

"Why is she not chained?!" One of them demanded.

 _Say it don't spray it_ , Angel smirked mentally as Erwin gave them the reason—excuse—he gave Nile.

"Also," Erwin added, "Ms. DiStefano is not only from outside the walls, but from another world." Their audience was too stunned to really notice his next statement. "She is not a subject of King Fritz's to command."

"That's not entirely correct," Angel spoke up, ignoring the startled look from Erwin. She inclined her head in respect. A little brown nosing never hurt anyone. "While I do not fall under your government's jurisdiction, I _am_ a visitor from another world." She chuckled inwardly, thinking she just called herself an alien. "I will adhere by...Your Grace is it or Your Majesty?" She mentally slapped herself. It was Your Highness, not Your Grace.

"Majesty will do just fine," the blonde-haired one said. Blondie, she called him in her head. He had lost the look of hostility already. Point for her.

"Ah yes, my apologies. We, my country that is, are ruled by a president elected by the people. I wasn't entirely sure how to address your leader."

Angel wondered maybe she shouldn't have dropped that bombshell on them. Right now they were all stunned. As soon as the shock wore off, they'd become antagonists again. After all, their power mainly lay in a blood claim. What if—given their command to have her in chains—they were paranoid enough to believe she'd give people wrong ideas and lead them into a revolution?

"By the people?" The pudgy one muttered in veriest disbelief.

"Yes, by vote. We're a nation of fifty states, a type of polity serving under a single system of government, a democracy."

She had to defuse the situation quickly and without changing the subject and making herself look somehow guilty in their eyes.

"Titans don't exist in my world, we don't have those limitations. So there are many people with different histories and cultures. We have countries that are ruled by Democracy, Monarchy, Republic, and unfortunately, some by Dictatorship, Totalitarian, and Anarchy."

She'd carefully worded her sentence to make monarchy a 'good' system while not saying it outright.

The Nobles still were a little on edge. _Should I make a threat?_ Or stroke their egos, maybe? "What are you going to do?" An elderly bald man with a curious smile and shrewd eyes asked. He wasn't a Noble. From the rose insignia, she figured he was some important Garrison person.

Angel had no real answer to that. "I...don't really know. I'm hoping to get back home somehow."

"How did you come here?" One of the Nobles with a cravat asked, back to looking suspicious. "And how do you know you're from another world?"

Angel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Didn't she just say there weren't any Titans in her world? Maybe he was too shocked about the democracy thing to really register the fact about the absence of the monsters that had kept his people locked up for a century.

"In my world, humans have explored every part of the planet we live on and there are records to prove it." The moon and Mars parts were left out. They would sound ludicrous to these people, who were obviously very small-minded and lacked imagination, the complete opposite of the Survey Corps' members. "I've mentioned historic events of great importance from back home and no one knows of them at all."

She paused for a moment to give them a chance to speak. They kept silent, eyeing her intently. Angel continued, "There are scientists back home who believe the Many-Worlds Interpretation. A theory suggesting that many different worlds exist that are fundamentally similar. Except there is something relating to a certain event or person that is different compared to the rest of the worlds, thus making each world unique.

Angel didn't know much about what she was saying or if that's what the theory really was. Or if what she'd just said came from a TV show or comic. Maybe a mixture of the two. All she knew was that she could use their lack of knowledge to her advantage. As long as she sounded confident, they wouldn't know she was lying through her teeth.

"Unfortunately, to be completely honest, that means I cannot provide much assistance to you in terms of human history. What I know is specific to my world, I don't believe it can be applied here. The best I can give is info about the geography and the animals. And natural disasters." If they'd been confined to the walls, they might not know what a hurricane or a tsunami or an earthquake was.

The Nobles relaxed. It seemed she had eased their fears somehow, whatever they were. Now the four were watching her with curiosity rather than animosity.

"How do you plan to go back home?" Mustache asked.

"I'm hoping the same way I came here: the universe does it's thing," she waved her hand in a vague gesture. "Or maybe satellites will pick up a disruption when I left or a tear in the fabric of space." She bit off the 'or whatever.' That would make her sound less knowing. "However, given the nature of the universe, I am confident I should be dropped back into my own world. The universe will balance itself naturally." Or so she hoped.

She didn't know much about the multiple worlds subject. Really she just wanted enough time to let the hair dye fade so she could disappear into the masses should the occasion rise. They weren't very advanced, she didn't think they'd be able to find her easy. _Fingers crossed_.

"Your world must be very advanced."

Angel didn't pick up on the odd tone, blinded by sheer hope, and said, "Using the living conditions and average life span based on the people I've seen, we're around two hundred and fifty years ahead." Really she'd just taken the difference between the current year and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

What she said to them matched up with the living standard of the people during the 19th century. The carriage ride had been long and her mind had raced the entire time.

Having run multiple scenarios in her head about how the meeting would go, she'd come prepared with all kinds of BS.

"That's...quite something," Cravat said.

 _Uh-oh, that's not good_. Angel nodded politely. "Again, unfortunately, I wouldn't know how to advance your own technology. It's not my area of expertise." She wanted to make it clear they shouldn't expect her to build weapons for them without outwardly telling them no. Not knowing that, in fact, they feared such a thing.

"Oh?"

"Me explaining how technology works would be the equivalent of asking a black smith about how the human body works." She couldn't believe that was the best example she could come up with. "I mean I can say what purpose something serves but that's about it. Re-creating it..." She shook her head. "It's not even something I can fathom." The Nobles found it satisfactory.

Except for the pudgy one.

"It's a bit unnerving to think there exists such an advanced world so far yet so close to us." Unease he hid so carefully from inflecting his voice shone in his eyes.

 _Oh great._ Unfortunately, she knew all too well how people felt about others having some sort of advantage over them. Especially a militaristic one. There was no way the worlds would merge or whatever he was fearing.

Still, she was a living breathing representation of a world that held the potential to annihilate them without effort.

"I'm sure you'll get there eventually," Angel said neutrally.

"Of course," he replied blandly.

 _You want to be like that, asshole? Fine._ Angel put a determined look on her face. "My mother was a diplomat. She represented our nation in other countries before running in an election and becoming a senator." She added a hint of pride to her voice. "The Senate is the group that can approve or reject treaties and presidential nominations."

She was fibbing a little and padding up the position. Her mother really was a senator so she figured the rest wasn't that important. The Nobles stiffened slightly, because she was the daughter of someone important, some very high-ranking. _My status is the equivalent of a Noble's daughter here._

"I will act as an ambassador for my country—no, my world. As such, I shall tell you about my world and learn about yours to increase understanding. If I am not found for some time or even end up passing away in this world, my people can track the unique digital print left by my technology. I have already input data of what has happened since I first found myself in that forest."

That was a heaping pile of bullshit.

Her insurance.

Just in case they thought about killing her and covering up the fact that she ever existed. It might work with their people. However, should her people ever make it here, they'd know. _Or that's what these people think_. Angel was willing to exploit their lack of knowledge to the fullest, whatever it took to survive and make it back home in one piece. She was confident it would work. It was the same reason people were afraid of the dark and death. It wasn't the thing itself.

Humans were afraid of the unknown.

"As I said, my mother was a diplomat before she became a senator," she repeated casually to drive in the fact she wasn't expendable, "I will take up those duties, and follow the same rules and restrictions. Though I will ask for partial immunity to you laws and hope I won't be prosecuted as I am foreign to your ways."

Angel hurried before they could voice their protests, "That, of course, does _not_ mean I expect you to let me get away with killing someone or any other such serious crimes. I shall observe how you live and respect your beliefs. It goes without saying I won't interfere with the way you do things, I don't have that right."

Nods of understanding and acceptance were given at that statement.

"As I am going to be a diplomat, I will adhere by those principles. After all, I am basically a single person who represents all of my people. Any move I make or is made against me reflects on my people."

No one missed the thinly veiled threat.

By killing her or harming her in any way, they courted war with her nation.

It was a precarious proposition. As far as they were concerned, she, through her mother, held the power to either make allies with their people or make them into enemies. Angel hoped they had a high enough sense of self-preservation to let her live. Her survival depended on the men before her to take her proposal, as absurd as it was to her ears, and accept it as the lesser of two potential evils.

While many of the points she'd made they found acceptable, some, such as the partial immunity, they felt uncertain about. The Nobles almost didn't seem to know what to do with her. So Erwin stepped forward. "Might I suggest Ms. DiStefano advise the Survey Corps for the duration of her stay? Considering the knowledge she is willing to share and the goal of our branch, it would make the most sense."

"Actually, in order to fulfill my duties, I'd have to stay with all three branches and maybe meet with the people. Wouldn't you agree?" She didn't think these power-hungry manics would take too well to her spending her entire time with the Survey Corps. The looks they'd gotten the closer they got to the capital were of distrust and irritation.

Angel needed friends, powerful allies and connections. She'd have better chances if she got close to the other branches and found comrades in people with power. "If I am to act as a proper ambassador, I cannot have biased opinions of a single group. Transitioning between the three would be fairest."

They nodded without hesitation. The Nobles whispered amongst one another before announcing, "We must consult this will the king before we make a decision."

 _If the universe doesn't 'fix it,' they think my people will find me. If not now, sometime eventually. It could even be decades._ Really Angel wasn't sure it would ever happen. _They wouldn't risk hurting me as not to antagonize a stronger and far more advanced civilization._ She couldn't see how, if they had a lick of sense or they knew for certain she had lied quite a bit, they'd think letting her go free wasn't the right, or less dangerous, choice.

* * *

Angel stood ramrod straight.

No one tried to talk to her. She did hear quiet whispers around her, too soft to make out though. Thor's breathing wasn't helping. He was lounging next to her, day-dreaming, or whatever was a dog's equivalent of it. She was just glad he was very well-behaved.

Ignoring the whispers, she focused her attention straight ahead. What was she going to do on the off chance they decided to kill her? That single thought had her blood pressure through the roof. The side door opened and the Nobles came back in.

Their poker faces were terrible.

Angel didn't see how they could hold such positions of power when they couldn't even control their expressions. She was grateful nonetheless. _I'm safe_. The tension in her muscles didn't ease until she heard those beautiful words.

"Your proposal has piqued our esteemed king's curiosity," Blondie said. "He's agreed to your terms."

Relief made Angel feel ten pounds lighter. She silently thanked their king for being more curious than cautious, not knowing he was a simple coward who was afraid of taking risks.

"However," Cravat said, "we will decide to what degree we consider a crime serve."

"Understood," Angel agreed humbly, looking at them with gratitude.

"Good," he nodded, satisfaction shining in his eyes.

"As you are a guest of our king," Mustache explained, "you don't have to worry about any sort of expenses. His Majesty will provide you with sufficient funds so you can adjust easily."

 _So he's essentially trying to buy his way into my good graces._ It was working. Angel liked that very much. A genuine and pleasant smile brightened her face. "Please give His Majesty my thanks for his generosity."

One hand behind her and the other flat above her heart, she bowed. Feeling multiple pairs of eyes on her, Angel straightened, blushing lightly. She cleared her throat, "Sorry, we don't have a monarch but there are countries that do. This is usually how people greet aristocrats and royalty, I think. I did it without thinking."

Was it really how they acted? Or did she get it from an anime about a butler and his master? Either way, it earned her some brownie points. Looks of delight covered their faces. Indeed they were pleased with her action. She was beautiful and incredibly polite, and unconsciously, they saw her as less of a threat and far more pleasantly.

They were feeling a lot more benevolent now.

 _Egotistical imbeciles._

"With your permission, I'd like to stay with the Survey Corps first since I'm most familiar with them. The duration would also have to be the longest because as Commander Smith pointed out earlier, my information correlates with their purpose."

 _They're hesitating_. Something was going on. Angel didn't know what though.

"Very well," Blondie said grudgingly.

"Also I'd like to suggest you call the press for a conference. My presence will surely have caused many questions to be raised and people will be looking for answers. That way, we can address the issue without causing an uproar and get ahead of any potential rumors. We'll clarify the situation so they know everything's under control."

"A fine idea." Surprisingly it was the pudgy and least trustful one who said it. "In fact, we were thinking of doing something like that," he added quickly.

 _Somehow_ _I doubt that_. She guessed they'd been too absorbed about her situation to consider what the people were thinking and saying. They liked her idea though. It made them look more in control.

"I can address them directly and explain the situation to the best of my ability, hopefully without confusing them too much. After all, I've become an ambassador of my people, I speak for them and your people will want to and need to know."

"Of course."

Reluctant they were to have her speak to the press. But they couldn't explain the multi-world theory when they didn't full comprehend it themselves.

"I'll be sure to mention the magnanimity of King Fritz," she pretended to mumble to herself to ease their fears. And to make sure people would know she was in his good graces. Angel didn't know how people would take to knowing about a person from another world. There were all kinds of xenophobes in her world. It was human nature to be suspicious of something or someone that was foreign to them. She doubted it was any different here.

Probably more so because they'd been trapped in the walls with the same people who thought and lived the exact same way for generations. They'd never been exposed to the 'different,' unlike the people back home. _And this goes beyond people's irrational beliefs about those with a different religion or sexual orientation._

"We can have the major newspapers and some others gathered together here in an hour," Cravat nodded.

"Not like it'll be hard considering they're all already outside," Mustache mumbled.

"You must be tired," Blondie started. "Why don't you rest and eat? We'll have the press organized in a hall."

"As you wish," Angel bowed her head.

"Good, you are dismissed them. You'll be escorted to your room. We'll send a servant and tell him what you wish to eat."

* * *

"That went well," Erwin broke the silence as they walked down the hall, escorted by an MP soldier to their quarters for the night. "Better than I could have dreamed."

Angel's lips twitched slightly. She got the feeling he was bummed out she'd refused to hang out solely with the Survey Corps. Did he really think she'd choose to stay with just them? "Yes, I am very fortunate. I can't image what would have happened if I'd been dropped in some world governed by idiot savages instead of the amazing and gracious King Fritz."

 _Laying it on a little thick, aren't you?_ She thought to herself. She stared at the back of their escort's head. _No, better to be cautious._ Who knew how many spies they had, listening quietly, hidden in the shadows? _Best to stay neutral and make friends with everyone._

"Yes." Erwin's smile was decidedly not genuine. A politician's smile.

And Angel had grown up in politics. She could smell it from a mile away. _He doesn't like them. He's got an agenda_. Hunger clawed at her stomach like a wild animal. _Or maybe I'm just starving and paranoid and have watched too many period dramas and come up false notions on how a king's loyal man should act._

Erwin and Levi were staying in the same hallway as her while the Special Ops Squad was sent somewhere else. The room was far more decorative and exceptional than the one she'd stayed in previously. There was a big bed with a thick mattress and sheets, a soft rug, and an oil painting. In the corner was a desk with an oil lamp and a basket of fresh fruits, and on the opposite side was a door leading to a private bathroom with a big tub. Fire had been lit in fireplace, warming the room and giving it a cozier feeling.

Angel made way to the fruits. No bananas. _And no oranges and mangos either_. All fruit baskets she'd ever seen had apples, bananas, and grapes at least. _Bananas grow in a tropical climate_. It told her about the weather they had. She filed the info away and waited for the servant. Thor attempted to get to the basket but she stopped him.

"I know, Thor. I'm hungry too. But there's no knife so I can't cut the apple for you." While she loved grapes, they were toxic to dogs. She didn't want to risk him accidentally eating one.

Luckily, the servant came soon. Before he could gawk at her, Thor ran to him. The man let out a squeak, backing into a corner, the blood draining from his face. "C'mere, Thor," Angel patted the bed. The servant shot her a look of gratitude and collected himself.

He cleared his throat. "What would you like to eat, ma'am?"

"Stew is good, with beef, any dessert will do. I'd also like some chicken and tomatoes for my dog. And water for both of us, thank you."

Angel was disappointed when she opened the door, expecting food, and saw Levi instead. He folded his arms, "We're eating in a private dinning room. You're welcome to join us."

"I'll decline, thank you. I want to eat alone. I need some time to clear my head and some quiet to think about how to address the reporters." It was her first time with that sort of thing.

"Alright," he nodded and left.

The food came soon and Angel could swear it was what heaven must smell like. She couldn't remember the last time she ate. It was another reason why she'd turned Levi's invitation down. She wanted to stuff her face in peace and quiet. That and she got the feeling Erwin put him up to it. But she needed to be without distractions and someone whispering things into her ear.

 _Oh God I feel like I might explode_. If someone came to take her now… The idea of walking made her groan. Fortunately, her stomach was feeling less like it was going to combust when her escort arrived. She'd freshened up and retouched her make-up, feeling a lot more confident and prepared now. Not to mention not starving.

"Let's do this," she told Thor, only slightly nervous. His bark startled her escort and she smiled, "You always know what to say. Now stay here and be a good boy. I'll be back soon."

She followed the MP to the hall full of eager reporters.

* * *

 _ **Please Review~**_


	4. Conference

**Chapter 4: Conference**

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

 **Previously** : Angel meets the king's advisors and lies and manipulates them to let her become an ambassador.

* * *

A crowd of about two dozen was waiting eagerly for her. It was the lack of flashing cameras that drained any last bit of anxiety she felt. Some of the people began scratching furiously in their notebooks. They were making sketches of her. She tensed again. Her face was going to be the most recognizable face behind the walls by the end of tomorrow night.

 _I have the support of the king. For now._ Angel didn't know if the Nobles were going to give her money outright or pay for her expenses themselves. She hoped for the former, it would make hiding funds in case of an emergency much easier. MP soldiers lined the walls to protect the Nobles who were standing up-front-and-center. Erwin and Levi were standing together a few feet apart from them and Angel took up the space between them, having left Thor behind.

Reporters—paparazzi, really—from her experience, were crazy. Not knowing how they would react, she'd erred on the side of caution and left her dog in her room. Even though she doubted anything would happen, there were plenty of soldiers around on the off chance the emergency conference went sideways.

Mustache began by explaining the situation a little and introducing her, mildly annoyed the reporters were still more interested in looking at her than listening to him. Angel was sure to show her thanks, smiling pleasantly.

"My name is Angel DiStefano. Earlier today, I stumbled upon a portal that connected my world and this world and I ended up in the Forest of Giant Trees. I was rescued by soldiers of the Survey Corps and taken to their headquarters. They brought me here to meet with the king and his advisors. I explained my plight and King Fritz was very generous and understanding. Knowing the public would be curious about my presence and needed to know the situation, this conference was set up to answer any questions you have. I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability so please bear with me." Simple and straight to the point.

They began hurling questions at her. Angel held up a hand, "Not all at once please. Actually, raise your hand and I'll pick one at a time." Hands immediately shot up in the air. She nodded to the young man in the bowler hat.

"Why's your hair blue?"

Of course. No 'What is your world like?' or 'What can you tell us about the outside world?' but _what up with the hair?_

"It's dyed, much like how you would dye clothes except it's for hair. It's available commercially back home."

"Are there Titans in your world?" An elderly man asked.

"No, there aren't," she shuddered, recalling the up-close-and-personal view of giant white teeth.

"So the people in your world are free? They can go wherever they want?" A woman with glasses stared at her in awe.

"Mostly," Angel nodded. "There are many countries and cultures and governments, they follow their own laws and traditions. Some countries open their borders for everyone while others are more closed off."

"Do you speak different languages?"

"Me personally, I'm bilingual. I don't know about the entire world but I'm pretty sure at least half speak two languages. Of course there's the whole dialect thing. But let's not get into that and keep it simple."

"Can you say something?" One person blurted out.

" _Qualcosa_."

"What's that mean?"

"Something."

That got a few laughs. Angel grinned and pointed to a young woman. "You, you laughed at my poor attempt at a joke. You can ask the next question."

"I know you haven't seen our world too much in the few hours you've been here, but so far, how is it different? Or the same?"

"Technology comes to mind first. Then the culture. However, here and there, I don't believe we're so different at our core. I've seen the same emotions: love and hate, happiness and sadness, despair and hope. Deep down we're all the same. Even in my world with all the 'different' people, we're just one race: the human race." Now if only the close-minded bigots would get that through their thick skulls.

"What kind of technology do you have?"

Angel saw the Nobles tense and knew she had to proceed with caution there. "We have—mostly they're all made of metal and rectangular in shape—tiny devices that play music, TVs of various sizes that show something like a play that's been recorded some time earlier and you can watch from the comfort of your home, phones we use to communicate over a long distance, and computers that serve a multitude of purposes. We use them to store data, for entertainment, for medical purposes and such."

"How do they all work?" An especially eager reporter asked.

"I don't know," Angle answered before the Nobles could react. Something about technology set them off. _And human history now that I think about it._ She'd have to be careful about those subjects. "Explaining how they're created and work would be like me asking you to explain how that contraption the soldiers use to swing around—"

"The Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear, 3DMG or 3D gear for short."

"Yes, that. Would you be able to explain to me how to create it and how all the parts function?"

They shook their heads. "There's also the matter of material. We don't have the same limitations so we have various resources from all around the world."

"Can this portal you mentioned be used to travel to your world?" Whispers broke out at once.

Again, Angel was quick to answer and stay on top. "No, you cannot. In my world, it's located in a public park. If it was permanent, someone would have found it earlier."

"Then how will you go back?"

"Scientists from my world have theorized about the Many-Worlds interpretation. The theory basically states there are multiple worlds that exist next to each other. However, they move at different frequencies so their presence is never felt by the others. Sometimes they vibrate, I guess you can call it, the _same way_ at the _same speed_. Based on my experience, when they do, it's for the slightest of moments, and if you're at the right place at the right time," or wrong place and wrong time in her case, "you can pass through the portal that's created, allowing you to move from one world to another. You can imagine how impossible it would be to prove that theory."

"If what you say is correct," a short one began, her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, "does that mean you can't go back? Because this portal is so rare."

Angel had come with up a slightly more plausible explanation for that question during her meal. "I've had some time to think on it and I believe because I'm not from this world, I most likely vibrate at a different frequency. If you study nature, you can _kind of_ see what I'm about to say next."

She couldn't use specific examples like dart frogs or lions or deers. She was fairly certain they wouldn't know what she was talking about. It would be too confusing, so Angel decided to speak about animals as a whole. "Predatory animals have certain abilities, like their speed or sharp teeth that can easily rip through flesh. But their prey have some defensive abilities as well, hard shells or the ability to camouflage."

She paused to see if they were keeping up. While it didn't make complete sense, they mostly seemed to get the gist of what she was saying, as confusing as it was for them to wrap their heads around it and then word it in a way to help their readers understand.

"Basically, there is a certain balance in play in the universe. I don't belong in this world. My existence, the frequency at which I vibrate, is that of another world. I'm an anomaly. My own theory is the universe will try to fix the situation. Another portal may open today or tomorrow or even a year from now and it will send me back."

Questions about weapons, governments, religions, and different races hadn't come up so far. Angel felt it was a good place to end things. Not to mention the Nobles were starting to grow restless. Also, she wanted to avoid a certain reporter with a stare that could kill if it were possible. Something about her last answer had rubbed him the wrong way. He hadn't spoken out of turn so she figured he didn't want to get kicked out. From the way a few people eyed the MP, she got the feeling they weren't the type to shy away from violence.

"It's been a long and tiring day so I will say one last thing. As a guest of this world and a daughter of a high ranking official back home, I have taken the position of Ambassador. I will represent my world and share what I can, and learn about this world to better understand it."

Many asked if she would be working with the Survey Corps.

"Yes, and the other two branches as well. You will probably see me around with soldiers—I'm kind of hard to miss," she touched her hair. "I look forward to meeting all the people and sharing whatever I can to help. And it's all possible because of the magnanimous King Fritz and his gracious advisors. They've been most welcome and understanding, promising to take care of me, a total stranger. I would like to thank them for their support above anything else."

 _Bleugh._ The words tasted like ash in her mouth. The Nobles all puffed up in pride at her praise and the approval from the crowd. Pudgy stepped up and addressed the crowd for a bit before they were dismissed. There wasn't a lot of light left outside, the sun would set soon, and Angel knew they'd be burning the midnight oil to get the story printed and out to the public by morning.

Back in her room, a seamstress and a small army was waiting for her, ready to take her measurements to set her up with fresh clothes. Angel spent an hour being poked and prodded and measured and ordered to do this and that.

"No skirts. I'll need a few dresses because I'm sure there'll be occasions when I'll need one. But most of my wardrobe should consist of pants and blouses. Preferably like what I'm wearing—similar to the ones worn by the soldiers, except in darker colors."

Once again, Angel turned down an invite and dined in her room with Thor for company.

Tired from such a long and exhausting day, she fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

"So it wasn't a weird dream after all." Angel sighed at her reflection in the mirror. After she finished bathing, she stepped into her room dressed in a white robe. The seamstress stood by the bed with a younger version holding a pile of clothes. They presented their finished product with tired but hopeful eyes.

Angel pulled them on and moved around to see how they fit. The clothes were what she'd hoped for, dark, fitting pants, crisp button down shirt, and black boots. In addition, they'd also knitted some scarves, gloves, and caps. "They're perfect, thank you. I'll make sure you're properly compensated for all your hard work," Angel pulled on the accessories and her grey jacket. Sina was a cold place to live in.

The seamstress nodded, pleased at the words. "The rest of your wardrobe will be finished today."

Guilt squirmed in her stomach at the amount of clothes she was getting. After a small breakfast, she and Thor attended a meeting with the Nobles, discussing the extent of her immunity. Of course they had to bring up the newspapers. They'd skimmed over the chunk of the articles featuring her and mostly babbled about the praises they got from the journalists for their generosity to a vulnerable young woman alone in a foreign world.

The blue-haired woman nodded along, a little surprised at how easily she fell into the role she'd come up with rather hastily. _If this was Game of Thrones, I'd totally be Margery Tyrell._ Unfortunately, it was almost lunchtime by the time the meeting ended and the four men insisted she dine with them.

"He's very powerful," Blondie said. Despite knowing their names, in her mind they were still Blondie, Pudgy, Mustache, and Cravat. Thor was eating from his new bowl a few feet from the table.

"A fine beast," Mustache nodded, eyeing the muscular dog with approval.

"Thank you, I've raised him since he was a little pup." Angel gathered they were more impressed with the fact she owned such a 'magnificent creature' rather than Thor himself. Though he certainly grabbed their attention with his bulk and sheer obedience to his mistress. It was pure luck he came through with her, and here, only the wealthy could afford pets, especially ones his size and weight. Thor ate almost as much as she did.

"Finally, thought it'd never end," Angel collapsed on her bed. The Doberman jumped up, tail wagging, and barked once. "I know you want to go out." She could use some fresh air, too. "Let's go see if they'll let us out."

Outside her door, her escort stood patiently. He confirmed she could leave as long as he was with them. Angel spent a good while at a training area for the MP soldiers, all who were present watched them with fascination, none came up to them though. Satisfied Thor had spent enough energy, they wandered out of the building and down the street.

People stopped and stared at her, pointing and whispering. Newspapers were in everyone's hands. She was the hottest piece of gossip. Everyone was talking about her. From the shocked looks a few had, Angel thought not everyone had been completely convinced of her existence. The looks weren't hostile, more curious and awe and surprise. Still, she was kind of tired of it.

They were on their way back when a small girl ran up to them. With long brown hair, wide blue eyes, and a frilly purple dress, she looked like a porcelain doll come to life. She pointed at Angel and declared, "Your hair is blue." Her parents stood frozen a couple of feet behind her. They were eyeing Thor, who was sniffing the child, nervously. The entire street was watching. _This is a good opportunity_.

A charming smile on her face, Angel knelt. "Wanna touch it?"

Curiously, the little girl touched the blue hair gently before petting it. "It's very soft."

"Why thank you...?"

The girl straightened. "My name is Felice Kissinger," she stuck out her hand.

Angel shook it, noticing the silk gloves, gold pin, and the stiff posture on the child. A Noble. "A pleasure, my lady. I'm Angel DiStefano. And this is Thor. Say hi, Thor."

Felice let out a delighted shriek when the Doberman held up his paw. "He's so cute!" She shook his paw excitedly.

The MP soldier cleared his throat. Angel noticed the crowd thickening and closing around them. She stood. "Aw," Felice's face fell, still petting the dog. "Are you leaving?"

"Sorry sweetheart, I have to attend a meeting soon." It wasn't total a lie. There was a meeting coming up in less than two hours.

With a goodbye shake, the trio left, the little girl waving behind them. Most of the crowd was smiling. Angel took note of the increase in frowsy-faces and MP soldiers. Not even 24-hours and it seemed she'd made enemies. _I wonder who they are_. She really hoped she wouldn't have to constantly travel with a group of MP soldiers for her own protection.

* * *

Angel was the last to arrive in the conference room.

She had done so on purpose.

She was to meet the important heads of the military, get to know them because soon she'd be spending time around them. She didn't know if she was being too paranoid, imagining them trying to fill her ears with stories and lies and manipulating her. Why? To possibly control her or make her afraid or maybe get her to join their side.

Too many alphas in one room, all with important, high-ranking positions. Angel seriously doubted they didn't butt heads. And if one walked in on her talking with another without the rest of them around... _No, I'm being too paranoid_. Nevertheless, she didn't need them thinking she was already favoring one over the others. The potential drama that might ensue would be a real headache.

Taking a calming breath, she stepped in. They all looked at her with neutral or smiling faces, no hostility in the air between them.

 _...Or maybe I watch too much Game of Thrones._

"Good afternoon," she nodded, taking a seat at the table.

"Welcome," a much older man with silver hair and glasses greeted, sitting at the other end. "I am Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly, the head of the three military divisions." He gestured to the man to his right.

"Commander of the Garrisons, Dot Pixis," the old man with the shrewd eyes from the day before said. Behind him stood an expressionless young woman with brown hair.

Next to him sat the one person she knew. "Erwin Smith, as you know, Commander of the Survey Corps."

Levi was leaning against the wall behind him, arms folded.

Lastly, sitting across the two commanders, was the one person who wasn't looking at her with a smile. Even Zackly was smiling a little, barely noticeable but still there. And Levi did't count, she didn't think he ever smiled. "Commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok."

A blonde-haired woman stood behind him, the butt of two pistols visible on her person.

"Angel DiStefano, Ambassador. And Thor, guard dog."

"We've gathered here today to give you a brief overview of the branches and to give you a chance to become aquatinted with the men in charge," Zackly said.

Angel nodded, quietly listening to them explain about their branches. She asked a few questions that came to mind. Except for one. At 30,000 soldiers, trainees included till they were properly placed, Garrisons was the largest. Only a select few had the option of joining the MP Brigade. Most of those who didn't make it opted for the Garrisons while some went to the Survey Corps.

A gut feeling told her not to ask why the most combat suited soldiers became law enforcers instead of Titan-slayers.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions," Angel said to Zackly. From what she got, he was basically the only judge in the military. The other commanders weren't expecting her to grill the chief about laws. They'd thought she'd be more interested in them and the way their branches worked.

Eventually, she felt it was enough for the time being. Not to mention two hours had passed and she was getting hungry. "Thank you for your time today. I feel more confident knowing more about how this world works and your history."

 _In some ways, they're more advanced than back home_. Based on the way they talked about their soldiers, gender discrimination was the last thing on their minds. More accurately, it wasn't on their minds at all. It was reinforced by the MP soldiers she'd seen so far. From her questioning of Zackly about laws regarding succession in general—she was surrounded by Nobles and royalty, she wanted to know how the succession of the crown worked—they followed an absolute primogeniture, first-born, regardless of gender, took the crown. And their education system, though a little lacking, was completely free.

 _And that's about where it ends_. While they had equality between men and women and free education for all, it wasn't the same with classes. The richest lived in Sina, and the middle and lower classes in Rose with the latter made up largely by Maria's refugees. As a lawyer, she was none too pleased about the laws. But it wasn't her world and she didn't want to die, so she kept her annoyance to herself and mouth firmly shut.

The Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan fascinated her. Were they mutations? Or humans? She'd grown up reading books and comics and watching TV. Seconds after the idea entered her mind, she dismissed the baseless assumption. At the end of the meeting, she learned two other important things.

One: Nile was suspicious and displayed his emotions. He was kind of an idiot, obedient to the government, and not dangerous lest they label her a threat. If she played her cards right, got him on friendlier terms, she would an ally in the head of the Military Police Brigade.

Two: Zackly, Erwin, and Pixis were snakes.

"They're very cunning, buddy," Angel stroked Thor's head absent-mindedly. They didn't follow the Royal Government blindly and had their own agendas. "We'll have to keep a close eye on them."

The knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. "You ready to go?" Levi asked.

"Yup," Angel adjusted the strap of her messenger bag on her shoulder.

An MP soldier had dropped by a few minutes earlier to inform her that some of her clothes would be sent to the Survey Corps HQ. He'd also dropped off money. She would study the currency later when she had more time. This time, it was only the Doberman and his mistress riding in the carriage, the others were following on horses.

* * *

When Angel rejected the offer to dine with Squad Levi for the third time, it had stemmed not from suspicion, rather from sickness.

Homesickness.

Without the threat of giant humanoid carnivores or paranoid strangers fueling her sense of self-preservation and occupying her thoughts, she was finally left to deal with the reality of the situation.

She was stuck in a foreign world with no way home.

The ground shifted beneath her feet and she collapsed at the edge of the bed. _What if I'm stuck here permanently? What if they kill me?_ She honestly could not tell which fate was worse, being executed by the paranoid people or having to live in this world till she passed away from a natural death, never seeing her loved ones ever again.

Terror and dread suffocated her. _I don't want to stay here!_ Angel didn't know how she would live in this world. They were so different, not just technology wise, it was their beliefs, their way of thinking, their lifestyle. _How am I supposed to spend the rest of my life in this hellhole?_

 _What am I supposed to do now?_ Her quick thinking had saved her. For now. But surviving and living were two very different things. _I wanna go home._ Her vision blurred. Angel was scared out of her mind, missing her family, her friends, her home. Her heart began pounding, throat closing up, stomach tying in knots. _I don't know what to do._

She did the only thing she could to ease her suffering.

Thor whined as his mistress held him and cried for her parents who would never know what happened to their only child, the goals she'd worked so hard to achieve gone down the drain, and for herself, stuck in a world with monstrous creatures that tore humans apart and ate them, suspicious strangers looking to use her to fulfill their own agendas, and a completely different set of rules.

 _I wanna go home._

* * *

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